Behavioral and business change in the second-hand textile industry of the Central Baltic region

 

During the Baltic2hand project, we have co-created solutions to promote textile reuse and reduce textile waste. This was done by supporting companies in creating or refining circular business models, services and other solutions; identifying new business opportunities and potential cross-border partners in Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Estonia; and encouraging consumers to adopt circular services and practices. 

The project followed a structured design process, with each phase generating new insights for both the project team and participating companies (Pic 1). 

 

 

Several companies took part in each phase. The ideation workshops focused on themes such as customer engagement, service development, digital service development, and collaboration. Altogether, 50 companies from the four partner countries participated, resulting in 12 idea cards for rethinking the reuse business. An additional nine companies joined through the hackatons.  

During the development phase, 12 prototypes were created and tested through 13 individual pilots. These pilots included both cross-border prototypes – where companies from different countries worked together – and local prototypes within each partner country. 

In the final “deliver” phase, nine projects were implemented. These contributed to new business opportunities that supported all three goals of the Baltic2hand project: increasing reuse, decreasing consumption, and decreasing textile waste (Pic 2).  

 

While the project did not result in a fully functioning cross-border value chain as initially envisioned, this outcome aligns with the nature of the textile reuse sector, where frequent transportation does not necessarily add value. Ultimately, the developed business solutions still fit within a broader reuse value chain (Pic 3).

 

 

Many participating companies reported satisfaction with the project and appreciated the support and understanding provided throughout the process. Several noted that they would not have initiated development work or achieved such results without the project’s guidance.  

 

Inka Mäkiö
Service designer and expert

 

These materials were created in the Baltic2Hand project which is an Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 project that is co-funded by the European Union. Read more about the Baltic2Hand project.